Siddaramaiah regrets remarks on beef and Kodavas

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, Dec 19 2020: Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday expressed regret for his remarks on beef and the Kodava people. “My statement about beef and Kodava culture has been misinterpreted by the media. I regret if that has hurt the sentiments of Kodavas. I am aware of Kodava culture and I greatly respect it,” he said in a tweet.

Siddaramaiah had reportedly said that even Kodavas eat beef, for which he faced flak.

ಕೊಡವರೂ ಬೀಪ್ ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂಬ ನನ್ನ ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ತಪ್ಪುಗ್ರಹಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವರದಿಯಾಗಿದೆ.
ಇದರಿಂದ ಕೊಡವ ಸಮುದಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ನೋವಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಾನು ವಿಷಾದಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ನನ್ನ ನೆರೆಯ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಾದ ಕೊಡಗಿನ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಅರಿವಿದೆ, ವಿಶೇಷವಾದ
ಗೌರವವೂ ಇದೆ.

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 19, 2020

“You have already tainted Dalits and backward classes by saying they eat beef. If that wasn’t enough, you’ve unwisely spoken about Kodavas. The entire state knows your love for beef. If you speak about self-esteemed Kodavas, they will make you think before stepping on their land,” BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah’s comment has not gone down well with the Kodavas. Various Kodava organisations have planned a protest condemning Siddaramaiah’s beef consumption remarks, in Madikeri on Monday.

“Kodavas worship cattle during Kail Muhurtha and other festivals. We do not even send old cattle to slaughter houses. We are not a beef-eating community. Read our history before making any statements,” Chammatira Praveen Uthappa of Akhila Kodava Samaj told reporters.